Our verdict of the iPhone 8:You'll need to make your own mind up about this one, since it's a refined smartphone but a lacklustre upgrade. Had Apple included a fast charger and maybe some form of wireless charging pad, it would have matched the 8/10 awarded to last year’s iPhone 7 Plus.710

If you expect your yearly smartphone upgrade to include a few significant advantages over last year’s model, the iPhone 8 may disappoint. If you’re not one to upgrade your device year-on-year, the iPhone 8 might be the best smartphone you can buy right now.

This year’s model marks one of the least exciting updates we’ve ever seen, but its base model is $50 more expensive than last year’s modeliPhone 7 Plus ReviewiPhone 7 Plus ReviewThis year's iPhone 7 models break with convention. For the first time ever Apple has opted for the same general design three years in a row, while introducing some divisive, but long-overdue features.Read More. So what, if anything, can redeem the iPhone 8 enough to make you want to part with your cash?

Whether you’re a fan of the iPhone 4-esque styling or not, early drop tests confirm that it’s as easy to break as any smartphone screen. Time will tell if it also scratches up badly, but considering most of us cover our devices with a case it’s unlikely to even be noticed let alone sustain significant damage.

In terms of physical dimensions it’s basically an iPhone 7, with the same camera and flash placement, identical capacitive Touch ID home button, and the same perforations and inputs around the edge of the device. At only 0.1mm taller, 0.2mm wider, and 0.2mm thicker, the biggest difference you’ll notice is in the weight.

The iPhone 8 is 10 grams (0.35 ounces) heavier than last year’s model, likely due to that glass and conductive panel. More significantly, the change does mean that the balance of the device has been slightly altered. The new model feels slightly more top-heavy in the hand compared to the iPhone 7, something that’s likely to be more significant on the Plus models.

So it’s a Fancy iPhone 7?

The comparisons with last year’s model don’t stop there, and the closer you look the more it feels like an iPhone 7s than a true generational leap. As expected, the biggest upgrade comes in the form of Apple’s system-on-chip which provides a few improvements beyond the usual speed boost.

The iPhone 8 is powered by the same A11 Bionic chip found in the upcoming iPhone X, despite being $300 cheaper for the base model. It’s still got 2GB of RAM (compared to 3GB for the Plus) which is likely less of a drawback than it seems when you factor in the single lens camera and smaller 4.7-inch display.

According to Apple the A11 offers some significant speed improvements: 25% CPU boost at full load, and 70% when idling; a 30% bump in GPU perfomance; and a whopping 70% improvement to multitasking. In testing, the device didn’t skip a beat while switching between Safari tabs, Facebook, and more demanding processes like iMovie.

It’s worth noting at this point that I haven’t noticed any significant problems with my year-old iPhone 7 Plus, either when running demanding apps or when switching between them. If you’re upgrading from the iPhone 6s or earlier, you’ll probably some performance boost though.

Wireless charging finally makes an appearance in an iPhone, but the feature could be missing altogether for all you know. The iPhone 8 is compatible with Qi wireless chargers, but there’s no charging pad included in the box and the company’s AirPower charging mat won’t be here till next year.

The iPhone 8 also adds fast charging, a feature many competing smartphones have had for a long time. This also suffers from a critical flaw: there’s no compatible fast charger in the box. Apple recommends its own USB-C to Lightning charger, and 29w USB adapter — an additional $75 worth of expenditure. Thanks, Apple.

If you’re willing to fork out for the additional hardware, the iPhone 8 can climb to a 50% charge from dead in 30 minutes. That’s not an insignificant improvement, and the investment might be worth it if you’re always out of battery and don’t want the added heft of a Plus-sized modelWhich iPhone is Best for You?Which iPhone is Best for You?Apple currently sells five different models of smartphone. If you've decided you want to buy an iPhone, you might be wondering which one you should go for.Read More.

It’s a subtle feature, but I really liked it on the iPad Pro and it’s most welcome here. You’ll also get compatibility with Dolby Vision and HDR10 standards, which streaming services like Netflix will take advantage of (though whether there will be a lot of content remains to be seen).

This is more in-line with Google’s offerings on its recent mobile devices, where software takes a pivotal role in improving image processing to deliver better results. I’ve always been a bit disappointed with the somewhat noisy telephoto lens on my iPhone 7 Plus, so this is a most welcome improvement. The results speak for themselves, with the camera finding focus points and delivering cleaner images than last year’s hardware.

Perhaps the most significant improvement over last years model though is the inclusion of 4K videos at 60 frames per second. This is something even Sony’s $2000 mirrorless cameras don’t currently offer, and it enables smooth 50% speed videos at a massive resolution. Again, you can thank the A11 for that.

A Worthy Upgrade?

There’s also the usual flurry of small improvements we’ve come to expect from iterative hardware updates, and refinements to existing technologies that improve usability. You’ll get Bluetooth 5.0 compatibilityBluetooth 5: What's New and What's Good?Bluetooth 5: What's New and What's Good?The latest version of Bluetooth has been announced and will be packed full of improvements and new features. Here's everything you need to know about it.Read More for example, and the speakers are 25% louder. The base model also includes double the storage at 64GB, though the 128GB option is entirely absent this time round.

Touch ID is present again, marking the biggest difference between this and the iPhone X. While the upcoming model uses facial recognition, the iPhone 8 still relies on your fingerprint. It’s faster than ever, and for many it’s more than sufficient. We don’t yet know how well Face ID will work, how fast it will be, and whether it’s truly convenient.

A new fast setup feature allows you to use your old phone to automatically transfer credentials when you first fire it up, but most people will likely restore the phone fully using iTunes. For the feature to be really useful, it would need to be reliable enough to transfer your old phone’s contents in its entirety. Next year’s iPhone, perhaps?

Despite tweaks and hardware improvements, many things remain the same. Battery life hasn’t improved, though fast charging will likely sweeten the pill if you’re willing to buy the necessarily cables and adapters. The IP67 water and dust resistance remains the same, but it would have been nice to see a more rugged iPhone. The chassis is also made from the same tough 7000 series aluminium.

Ignore the Score

You can ultimately evaluate the iPhone 8 without ever picking it up, assuming you already own a 6s or 7. It’s a refinement of what came before it, with unrealised potential in its wireless and fast charging abilities. The new A11 processor really gets the job done, but the A10 and A9 chips are also still capable in their own right.

From a reviewer’s standpoint, this creates a dilemma. Just because the iPhone 8 isn’t a significant leap over last year’s model, that doesn’t make it a bad device. It also doesn’t make it a bad buy.

But as a new device, and one that many expect will include significant changes to make their purchase worthwhile, there’s no denying that it falls short. This makes the number at the start of this review largely irrelevant, because your own situation and expectations will shape how you see this device.

Much of this is likely down to the iPhone X being Apple’s vision of the future, but that technology comes at a price.

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Nchedo Obi Igweilo

Looking forward to all of the awesome new features of the iphone8. My current iPhone I have had for 6 years and it has a broken screen but is still usable just difficult to scroll, view photos and messages clearly.